The San Francisco Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy (SFECFT) is affiliated with the International Centre For Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT) in Ottawa, Canada and the Northern California Community for Emotionally Focused Therapy (NCCEFT) in the San Francisco Bay Area.

SFCEFT supports therapists by providing training and supervision in EFT, building a local network of EFT practitioners and connecting therapists with skilled EFT supervisors and consultants.

"A landmark study of EFT shows that we can now effectively help couples, not just understand their relationship a little better or fight a little less, but create the secure loving bonds that soothe our brains"Dr. Sue Johnson

EFT Research

Question: Does EFT conform to any “Gold” standard in terms of research validation and the standards set out for psychotherapy by the APA?

In terms of the gold standard set out by bodies such as APA for psychotherapy research, EFT epitomizes the very highest level set out by this standard. Over the last 25 years, the EFT research program has systematically covered all the factors set out in optimal models of psychotherapy research.

The meta-analysis (Johnson et al, 1999) of the four most rigorous outcome studies conducted before the year 2000, showed a larger effect size (1.3) than any other couple intervention has achieved to date. Studies consistently show excellent follow-up results and many studies show that significant progress continues after therapy. EFT has a body of process research showing that change does indeed occur in the way that the theory suggests. This level of linkage between in-session process and rigorous outcome measurement is unusual in the field of psychotherapy.

EFT is the only model of couple intervention that uses a systematic empirically validated theory of adult bonding as the basis for understanding and alleviating relationship problems. The generalizability of EFT across different kinds of clients and couples facing co-morbidities such as depression and PTSD has been examined and results are consistently positive. Outcome and process research addressing key relationship factors, such as the forgiveness of injuries has also been conducted with positive results. EFT studies are generally rigorous and published in the best peer reviewed journals.

Research has shown that Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy works very well for couples and the results last. We also know how EFT works. So as a result, we can train therapists how to intervene efficiently and effectively across different populations and problems. EFT research also links congruently to other bodies of research such as those examining the nature of relationship distress and adult attachment processes.

Question: What is exciting about the most recent research on EFT?

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) changes how
the brain perceives and responds to threat. A recently published study (2013) dramatically illustrates how EFT couples therapy that teaches people to
bond securely builds the pathway for loving contact that soothes the brain and
calms our perception of danger. It is strong evidence of how our mammalian
brain is wired to use another intelligence — loving contact — to manage the
fears and pains of daily life. The fMRI component of the study showed that EFT changes the way contact with a partner mediates the effect of threat on the brain.

2. Wittenborn, A.K. (2012) Exploring the Influence of the Attachment Organizations of Novice Therapists on their Delivery of Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, Vol.38, Supplement s1, 50-62.

3. Zuccarini, D.J., Johnson, S.M., Dalgleish, T. & Makinen, J. (submitted for review) Forgiveness and reconciliation in EFT for couples: The client change process and therapist interventions. Submitted to the Journal of Marriage and Family Therapy.

6. Talitman, E. & Johnson, S. (1997) Predictors of Success in Emotionally Focused Marital Therapy. Journal of Marital & Family Therapy, 23, 135-152. It is interesting to note that in this study, couples continued to significantly improve from the end of therapy to follow-up.

12. Johnson, S.M. (2002) Marital problems. In D. Sprenkle (Ed.), Effectiveness Research in Marriage and Family Therapy, pp. 163-190. Alexandria, VA.: American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

13. Johnson, S.M. & Lebow, J. (2000) The coming of age of couple therapy: A decade review. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 26, 9-24.